Mark Gavin has been appointed National Sales Director for DAF’s southern African operations. Gavin has been in the truck business since 1994, gaining a depth of experience in all operational aspects of the local industry during his tenure at other European truck distributors over this 20 year period.

Babcock is the sole importer and distributor of DAF trucks in the South African market. Truck sales and support are conducted through an extensive regional network comprising Babcock owned and independent dealerships, service centres and breakdown support points. The company also represents PACCAR parts, guaranteeing first class parts availability and supply for DAF vehicles throughout the region.

“I have a tremendous passion for European trucks and I regard DAF as a word class brand,” says Gavin. “It’s the market leader in the UK and is among the top three in Western Europe. Although DAF presently has a small market share in Africa, I intend to challenge this – there’s absolutely no reason why these trucks cannot compete with the brands that occupy the upper levels of the local market.

“DAF trucks are well suited to African conditions and, coupled with European efficiency, safety, comfort and reliability, the local market receives the best of both worlds. Worldwide DAF is synonymous with these advantages and the African market is now beginning to recognise this. DAF offers one of the lowest vehicle tare weights in South Africa, as well as low fuel consumption and comprehensive warranties. We’re also geared to meet the growing demand for Euro 5 emission standards, with products that can run on locally available diesel. All these factors make DAF an excellent choice in terms of Total Cost of Ownership.

“Babcock will continue to back the DAF brand in the long term. We’re here to stay as a player in the African trucking industry and my immediate focus will be on ensuring that new and existing customers are offered the right products at the right price for the applications in which they operate, and that they receive a consistently first class aftersales service. The building blocks are already in place and I plan to consolidate these strengths to grow our market share.

“A heavy emphasis on the aftersales platform is steadily encouraging customer confidence. This has involved training mechanics, drivers and customer-facing personnel, as well as implementing systems and procedures, including achieving OHSAS 18001 (Safety and Health), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 9001 (Quality) certification in 2012, to establish and maintain the high level of aftersales service our customers expect.”

Leading vehicles
South African customers are spoilt for choice with a range of leading DAF vehicles — the XF series for heavy, long-distance haulage and the versatile CF series suited to a variety of applications, including regional routes and construction. The XF is available as a 6x4 tractor, with the CF offered as a 6x4 Tractor in both on and off road applications. All these trucks are powered by state-of-the-art 12.9 litre PACCAR MX engines, offering 410 hp in the CF series and 460 hp in the XF105.

DAF head office, based in Benoni on Johannesburg’s East Rand, houses the Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) that services the Babcock and independent dealer network throughout southern Africa, ensuring parts availability, as well as a technical and driver training centre to ensure all dealers technical and commercial staff are adequately trained to offer the correct service and advice to customers. Other Babcock dealerships are based in Middelburg, Cape Town and Durban, while Babcock’s DAF network offers everything from a routine service to a tailor-made repair and maintenance contract, together with full aftersales support.